Family Ties
by ViciousQuestionMark
Summary: Dee may have dragged Ryo out of the closet at work, but as far as Ryo’s family’s concerned, he’s still straight as a board. When an unexpected visit from Ryo’s Aunt Elena interrupts Dee’s Christmas plans, Ryo may find himself in over his head. DLxRM. Yaoi
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Family Ties

**Author: **Vicious Question Mark

**Rating: **M

**Summary: **Dee may have dragged Ryo out of the closet at work, but as far as Ryo's family's concerned, he's still straight as a board. When an unexpected visit from Ryo's Aunt Elena interrupts Dee's Christmas plans, Ryo may find himself in over his head. DLxRM. Yaoi.

**Disclaimer: **I, sadly, do not own FAKE or any of the related characters or their personalities. I just like to manipulate them for my own twisted amusement (with my deepest apologies to Sanami Matoh for brutalizing and mutiliating her beloved characters)

Chapter 1 

Dee Laytner smiled to himself as he stood outside the jewelry store, carefully examining the ring he had just picked up. A plain silver band with an intricate design twisting around it and the words _Love is Forever_ inscribed on the inside. It was perfect. With a satisfied sigh, Dee placed the ring carefully back into its box and then dropped the box into his pocket, his hands following quickly. It was late December, five days before Christmas in New York City, and very cold. People generally ignored the temperature, however, cramming themselves into stores and onto the sidewalks, searching desperately for those last minute gifts. Not Dee Laytner. His gift had been carefully thought out for months, ordered weeks ahead of time, and picked up nearly a week before Christmas, giving him ample time to wrap it, and keep his partner wondering about the satisfied, secret smile that played about his lips.

Dee Laytner and Ryo McLean had been working together as partners at the NYPD for almost three years now. They had been a couple for nearly two, and living together for one. That had been Ryo's surprise Christmas present to Dee last year – asking him to move in. Dee smiled as he remembered Ryo's initial shyness when they'd first met, his uncertainty about their relationship, and the cute way that a blush would still rise to his cheeks anytime Dee said something blatantly lewd, especially if it was in front of other people. Preoccupied with these thoughts, the dark-haired man had hardly noticed where his feet were taking him, and sooner than he expected found himself outside of the apartment complex that he now lived in. He ran up the steps, eager to get out of the cold and home to Ryo.

'_Maybe he'll offer to warm me up,' _Dee thought hopefully. He fervently prayed that Bikky was out somewhere with Carol, leaving himself and Ryo free to…entertain themselves wherever they liked. He stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hallway a little, stopping in front of the familiar door and digging his key out of his pocket.

"Koi, I'm home!" Dee ducked aside just in time to avoid a suitcase to the head.

"What the hell? Are you trying to kill me!"

Ryo pointed to the suitcase. "Pack your things. You're moving into Bikky's room."

"_What?"_ Dee was dumbfounded. "I just got home! What can I possibly have done to make you kick me out! And into _Bikky's_ room?"

"It's only temporary, koi. And it's nothing personal. My Aunt Elena phoned today. She and my uncle Rick are coming to stay for the holidays." Ryo spoke as he fluffed and arranged pillows on the couch.

"Oh, I see…Actually, I lied. I don't see. What does their coming over have to do with me moving into Bikky's room? And where's the little monkey going to sl- Oh no, I am _not_ sharing a room with that brat!" the outraged Dee followed Ryo into their bedroom which, now that Dee saw it, held no trace of him. "Ryo, what the hell is going on?"

Ryo turned from adjusting a picture on the wall with an apologetic look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Dee…" he said quietly, dropping down to sit on the bed. "I couldn't tell them…" Dee stared uncomprehendingly at the man in front of him, and Ryo sighed. "They don't know, Dee…they don't know that I'm gay, they don't know that I have a boyfriend, and they certainly don't know that I live with him."

The words took a minute to fully register in Dee's brain. They didn't know? He…hadn't told them…?

"So…how are you going to explain me?" he questioned.

"They think you're my room mate," explained Ryo miserably. "That's why it's got to look like you live in the other room…Bikky's going to stay at Carol's, and…I'm sorry, Dee, but you've got to sleep on the couch."

"_WHAT?_" The dark-haired man's eyes widened, not quite sure he'd heard his partner right. "I have to sleep on the _what_?"

"The couch. I told my Aunt that they could have a room to themselves…I wasn't thinking about the fact that it would look suspicious if we shared a room…"

"Why don't you just tell them?" the question seemed simple enough to Dee, who had grown up in a loose, accepting environment. Ryo just cradled his head in his hands.

"You wouldn't understand," he mumbled. Dee crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Try me," he challenged.

Ryo looked up at him. "My aunt and uncle are homophobic. I grew up in a family that was anything but gay-friendly. Whenever we saw a gay couple, they told me that it was immoral and wrong, a terrible way to live…They also think that it's a choice," he added bitterly, looking down at his hands again.

Dee, for once, wasn't sure what to say, so instead he moved to kneel on the bed behind his lover, sliding his hands gently around the other mans waist.

"I'm sorry, Ryo…" he said softly, resting his chin on the blonde's shoulder. "I didn't know…"

Ryo placed his own hands over Dee's, stroking the calloused flesh gently. "I think that that's part of the reason it was so hard for me to admit my feelings for you," he said quietly. "I felt like…like I'd be disappointing two of the only people who ever gave a damn about me, besides my parents…" He leaned back into the man behind him, who obligingly spread his legs, allowing Ryo to settle between them. The sound of Dee's heartbeat always had a calming effect on him, and he closed his eyes as it took over. He felt a pair of lips brush the top of his head, then his ear, and then his temple. He felt Dee pulling him up to allow better access to his mouth, and he felt the undeniable surge of lust that rose within him as his lover's lips brushed his skin.

"Dee," he whispered, tilting his head upward. Black hair and tanned skin came into focus as Dee's lips captured his own, a warm tongue gently begging to be let into his own mouth. Ryo complied automatically, parting his lips, his tongue meeting the other man's to join in an intricate dance of passionate dominance. Dee shifted slightly as Ryo twisted his body around to a more comfortable position, never breaking their kiss. Now on his knees, Ryo came chest to chest with his lover, taking the face of the man under him in his hands and crushing their lips together, feeling himself harden as strong hands gripped his hips, pushing forward to topple Dee onto his back, finally breaking their kiss to gasp for air, hands pulling at clothing that was suddenly glued to bodies. Ryo groaned as Dee's hands tore his shirt open, running over his smooth chest and down to the button of his pants, swiftly removing both offending items from the blonde. Left in only his boxers, Ryo made a noise of protest as Dee's touch left him. He looked up in time to see the other man discarding his own shirt and beginning to fumble with the buckle on his belt. With a grin Ryo reached up and undid the offending item, swiftly helping Dee remove his now too-tight jeans. Dee groaned loudly as his erection sprang free. He knew there was a reason he preferred to go commando. Free of his confines, Dee swooped down on his partner, capturing him in a kiss that threatened to devour. As wandering hands found their way to his boxers, Ryo involuntarily thrust his hips upward, grinding his own stiff manhood against Dee's hips, desperately seeking friction. His boxers quickly found their way off his legs, kicked to the floor by insistent feet as Dee clutched Ryo to him and rolled over, reversing their positions. Ryo whimpered piteously as the larger man began to lick and kiss his neck and chest, stopping to tease one taut nipple, flicking his tongue out to draw a hot, wet circle around it as one hand reached toward the bottle of lube kept on the bedside table. Ryo felt the familiar cool tingle of the gel as Dee coated his fingers with it liberally and inserted one, two, three inside him, readying him for something much larger. He went agonizingly slow, and Ryo thrust frustratedly down against him, whimpers begging him to go faster. Dee grinned and silenced his lover with a passionate kiss as he withdrew his fingers and coated his now achingly hard member with the same gel.

"You ready?" he whispered softly, nuzzling against the blonde's neck. He never took him before asking if he was ready. Ryo's eyes snapped open, hazy with desire and need.

"For God's sake, Dee," he moaned, digging his fingernails into the man's back. "Take me! Please," he whispered. Dee gave a feral grin and complied.

The two men laid entangled in each other for a long time afterwards, replete with the languor and tranquility of their lovemaking. Ryo snuggled into Dee's chest, knowing that this would be the last time they'd have the chance to lay like this until his aunt and uncle were gone. He looked up at his partner, who was beginning to drowse despite the fact that it was barely suppertime.

"Dee? You awake?" he whispered, reaching up to draw small circles on the man's chest.

"Mmhmm…" Dee mumbled sleepily, his fingertips trailing up and down Ryo's naked back. The blonde kissed his shoulder.

"I love you," he said. In the half-light of dusk, he could see Dee smile contentedly.

"I love you, too."

XxX A/N: Well, ok, what'd you think? Let me tell you, this story has given more problems than it's worth, and it's only on the first chapter! I wrote it out once, then erased it, and wrote it out again. So I hope you liked it. If you didn't, by all means, let me know (then I won't have to write anymore of it!)! Please review! 


	2. Day One

**Title: **Family Ties

**Author: **Vicious Question Mark

**Rating: **M

**Summary: **Dee may have dragged Ryo out of the closet at work, but as far as Ryo's family's concerned, he's still straight as a board. When an unexpected visit from Ryo's Aunt Elena interrupts Dee's Christmas plans, Ryo may find himself in over his head. DLxRM. Yaoi.

**Disclaimer: **I, sadly, do not own FAKE or any of the related characters or their personalities. I just like to manipulate them for my own twisted amusement (with my deepest apologies to Sanami Matoh for brutalizing and mutiliating her beloved characters)

A/N: Ok, first let me say that if you're a manga fan, and a fan of FAKE (which, obviously, you are) then you should definitely read _Gravitation_. And second: I _used_ to have a Gravitation story up on here, and it was all going very well, I had just gotten to the climax AND…some JERK OFF got it taken off the site. So, whoever it was, let me tell you now, if any more of my stories mysteriously disappear, I _will_ find you. I WILL. GET. YOU. Ok, now on the show! Chapter 2: Day One 

Dee looked up from where he was re-packing his once packed and unpacked suitcase as a knock sounded on the door. He heard footsteps – Ryo's – across the living room, and the creak of the door as it opened. His lover's voice floated in to him.

"Aunt Elena! Uncle Rick! I'm so glad you guys could come!" there was a rustle of clothing as Ryo hugged his aunt and uncle, and the sound of their greetings.

"Ryo! Oh honey, it's so good to see you! You look thin, have you been eating?" That would be Aunt Elena.

"Elena, leave the boy alone, we're barely in the door!" What a voice! Gruff and growly, like a bear. Must be Rick. Dee scowled.

"Dee?" the scowl transformed into a smile as the black-haired man stood up to greet their houseguests. He spared a glance at Ryo first, saw the pleading warning in his eyes, and smiled all the wider, extending his hand warmly.

"You must be Elena," he said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it. He smiled charmingly. "I've heard so much about you."

"You'd better watch out for that one, Elena," Rick joked, shaking Dee's hand vigorously.

Hiding a grimace as his fingers were crushed, Dee shook the big man's hand. "Oh, don't worry about me," he said. "I don't mess with people who could snap me in two with one go."

Dee actually seriously doubted whether Rick would even be able to stop a punch let alone hurt him, but hell, he'd play along, just like Ryo wanted him to. If he didn't cause any trouble, Ryo might just let up on his no sex around the relatives policy and let Dee take him to a hotel for the day. Keeping this hopeful thought in mind, Dee lugged his bag up off the floor and motioned the two intruders into the room.

"It's all yours," he said, still smiling.

Rick dropped his suitcase on the floor and dropped onto the bed gratefully. Elena hesitated for a minute.

"We're not putting you out, are we dear? Oh Ryo, you said it wouldn't be any trouble!" she gazed reproachfully at her nephew. Before he could stammer out an apology, Dee was there, cutting in smoothly.

"Oh it's really no trouble," he said. "I'll be fine on the couch." He again flashed her that charming smile, and she gave in.

"Oh, well, all right then. Ryo, where's the bathroom? I'd like to freshen up a bit."

"Right down here, Aunt Elena. Oh, if it's all right with you two, I thought we'd go out to dinner tonight? Sort of celebrate you being here. We'll go in about an hour?"

"Sounds great, I'm starved. No Indian, though. That crazy curry stuff doesn't sit too well with the old digestive system, if ya know what I mean." Though Rick had not left his spot on the bed, his voice could be heard clearly down the hallway. That grating voice. Dee gave Ryo a look behind his aunt's back, pleading with him to make this all be a joke, and to get these people out of their house as quickly as possible. Ryo simply smiled and offered an apologetic shrug before tripping off to his room to change.

XxX 

"Woo! I am _stuffed_. That place earns a three-notcher on the old belt."

Dee looked away disgustedly as Rick loosened his belt right there on the sidewalk. Ryo's cheeks coloured a little as his aunt laughed at her husband's rather tasteless behaviour.

"Rick, please," laughed Elena, only half serious. "We're in public. You could at least wait until we get home."

"Aw hell Elena, no one around here cares. I could take off my pants right now and no one would care." Rick slipped an arm around his wife's slim waist.

"Actually that's illegal, and we'd have to take you in for disturbing the peace." Dee shoved his hands in his pockets, searching for his cigarettes. Rick looked over at him shrewdly.

"So you're a cop too, eh?" he asked.

"Detective, actually," he said, lighting his newfound cigarette with a puff. He hated being called a cop. He was a cop when he got demoted to traffic duty, not when he was investigating murders and drug rings. He pondered the question as he exhaled a breath of smoke. Hadn't Ryo told them that he was his partner? Hadn't he mentioned anything about Dee to them? They were his family, after all…weren't you supposed to talk about things like work with you family?

"Dee's my partner," Ryo said nervously. His uncle threw him a sharp look.

"Your what?"

"My partner, at the precinct. We work together on cases. I do the paper work, and Dee keeps me from getting killed."

"Then I guess I owe you thanks!" Rick slapped Dee on the shoulder jovially, sending him stumbling forward the slightest bit. "Can't be too bad, if you keep our Ryo above ground."

"Heh…yeah…" Dee stopped and bent down on the pretense of tying his shoe, and beckoned Ryo to him.

"Um, hey, if you guys walk up a little further there's a bridge, and the view at night is pretty spectacular." Rick and Elena regarded Ryo curiously. "We'll catch up in a minute," he assured them. Elena shrugged and tugged Rick down the road. Dee waited until they were out of earshot before straightening up.

"So you're a cop too," he mocked Rick's earlier comment. "Jesus, Ryo! Didn't you tell them anything about me at all?"

Ryo rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly. "I don't talk to them that often," he said. "And when I do, I don't mention you, because…because I'm afraid I'll say something like, 'Yeah, work was great. Dee saved my life again and when we got home he –'"

"'Fucked me senseless'?" Dee cocked an eyebrow. Ryo colored.

"No! I…I'm just afraid that I'll slip up or something." Ryo reached out and touched Dee's shoulder. "I just don't want them to hate me," he said quietly.

Dee sighed. "I know…"

Rick watched his nephew and the dark haired man closely. There was something he didn't trust about this…_Dee._ What kind of name was Dee, anyway? It wasn't even a name, it was a letter. And he didn't like the way he looked at Ryo. There was something off about it, something that just wasn't quite right… He watched as Ryo touched the taller man's shoulder and leaned in, saying something quietly that seemed to calm him a bit. Rick looked around quickly. If Ryo didn't hurry it up, they were going to look like a pair of hom-

'_That's it,'_ thought Rick suddenly. '_That's what's not right about him…Dee's a homo!_' Rick's eyes widened as the pair walked toward him, and then narrowed as Dee looked over at him. If Ryo was living with this man, then there was no way that he knew about his friend's sexual preference. Well, he would just have to set his nephew straight…and make damn sure that he stayed that way.

**A/N:** Hey! Sorry for the long note at the beginning, but I had to get that out there. So, what do you think? I'm not sure if I like this chapter or not, so **please review**! If you don't like it, let me know and I'll re-write it, ok?


	3. Did You Know?

**Title: **Family Ties

**Author: **Vicious Question Mark

**Rating: **M

**Summary: **Dee may have dragged Ryo out of the closet at work, but as far as Ryo's family's concerned, he's still straight as a board. When an unexpected visit from Ryo's Aunt Elena interrupts Dee's Christmas plans, Ryo may find himself in over his head. DLxRM. Yaoi.

**Disclaimer: **I, sadly, do not own FAKE or any of the related characters or their personalities. I just like to manipulate them for my own twisted amusement (with my deepest apologies to Sanami Matoh for brutalizing and mutilating her beloved characters)

**A/N: **Wee! Thanks for all the reviews, guys! Sorry it's taken me _forever_ to update this. But, here it is, the much anticipated (well, I like to think that it's much anticipated) next chapter! Carry on!

Chapter 3: Did You Know…? 

Later that night, as Ryo was getting changed for bed, a knock on his bedroom door surprised him. He sighed and went to open the door, fully expecting to find Dee giving him the big puppy eyes that he did so well, and begging to sleep in the room with him, complaining about the couch. Therefore, he was surprised when he came face-to-chest with Rick.

"O-oh! Uncle Rick…Do you need something? There's extra blankets in the closet, and pillows are - "

Rick shook his head, cutting Ryo off. "No no, that's all fine. I…" He looked around furtively, as though expecting the walls to sprout ears. "I need to talk to you about something…_ important._ Can I come in?"

"Oh…um, of course…" Ryo stepped aside and let his uncle in, then closed the door and looked at him questioningly. "What is it?

"Have a seat, Ryo…" Rick began to pace, making Ryo nervous. He couldn't remember ever seeing Rick so agitated and serious. The last time Rick had been so serious, he'd been about to give Ryo "the talk," and Ryo hoped that this wasn't going to turn into a repeat of that experience. It had been remarkably uncomfortable.

"Uncle Rick, what's wrong? Is… it something with you and Aunt Elena? Is something wrong?" Ryo really hoped there wasn't. It had been hard enough to squeeze them into the same room together. He didn't know what he'd do if it turned out that they suddenly hated each other.

"No, no, nothing like that…" Rick stopped his movement in front of Ryo and turned to look at him. "I have to tell you something. You probably won't like it." He started pacing again, doing nothing to relieve Ryo's worries. "It's about your…friend. _Dee_."

"…A-about Dee?" Oh shit. Oh, shit oh shit oh shit oh shit…there was no way…He couldn't _know_? It was impossible…they hadn't even spent an entire day together! Ryo held his breath, hoping he wasn't about to be interrogated about his sex life.

"You might think that this is none of my business, or that it's none of yours, but as your uncle, I think that it's my responsibility to tell you…your roommate is…_gay_" he whispered this last word, as though afraid that the mere mention of it would bring about the end of the world. Rick watched Ryo carefully for a reaction.

"I…" the blonde couldn't think of what to say to that, so he settled for a stunned silence. He was, after all, truly stunned. Was it really that obvious? How had his uncle picked up on it? Dee wasn't exactly Carson Kressley from that _Queer Eye_ show. It wasn't like he ran around yelling at people for their shoes not matching their eyes or something. Rick seemed to think that this was an appropriate response, and pushed on.

"I know, it must be a shock. After all, you're sharing a house with this man! Now, don't freak out on me, Ryo, but I think that this guy's got a homo-crush on you. I was watching him today, and he looks at you like a starving cat looks at a fish market. I know that you're an adult and a cop and all, and that you can take care of yourself, but these characters…they're tricky. And he must be really tricky, if he's managed to hide it from you this long. You want my advice, you'll get him out of here as soon as possible, before he tries anything funny."

Ryo looked down, away from his uncle, trying to hide his anger at his uncle for speaking about Dee that way. He didn't even know him! Rick mistook this for embarrassment and grabbed hold of Ryo's shoulders, turning his nephew to look at him.

"He _hasn't_ tried anything funny, has he Ryo?" he shook the blonde a little. Ryo looked up, not sure what his expression was. He shook his head mutely, and Rick let go of his shoulders. "Good," he said gruffly. "Now, I know it's almost Christmas, and gay or not, no one deserves to be kicked out on Christmas, but I think that maybe you should just pull him aside and have a private chat with him, and tell him that after the new year, he'd best just pack his things and find a new place to stay. Or, if you don't want to, I can do it for –"

"I'm not going to kick him out."

Rick looked startled for a moment, and then looked at Ryo suspiciously. "Why not?" he growled.

"Because," said Ryo, looking his uncle full in the face. "Dee is my friend, and he's been nothing but nice to me. I can't tell you the number of times he's saved my ass out on the field. Whether he's gay or not is his business, not anyone else's. Being gay doesn't automatically make him a pervert, and besides, he knows I'm st-straight." Ryo cursed himself silently for stumbling over that last word. It had taken him so long to finally admit to being gay that he found he now had a hard time lying about it. He stared defiantly at his uncle, unsure of what would happen if his own sexuality were called into question. He let out his breath as, after a moment, Rick shook his head.

"Your parents raised you too well," he said, a touch of pride in his voice. "Sticking by your friend even though…well…that takes guts, I guess. So…all right. Whatever you think is best, Ryo." Rick smiled. "I trust your judgment."

Ryo wanted to sink through the bed. They said goodnight, and Rick left Ryo to himself and his thoughts, most of which centered around Dee. It was the first night since…Ryo really couldn't even remember the last time they'd slept apart. Sure they'd only been formally living together a year, but before that almost every night was spent together at either Dee's or his own house. Ryo decided that he didn't like sleeping alone.

XxX 

"Ryo…?"

Ryo groaned and looked at the clock. 2 a..m.

"Ryo, are you awake?" Dee's voice was a hoarse whisper from the doorway. "Can I come in?"

"I'm awake now, and you might as well," the blonde grumbled, even though he was privately glad that his partner had come to him. He felt Dee's weight settle onto the bed, and he shifted towards it, seeking the warmth of another body. He came into contact with Dee's leg, and sleepily dropped his head into the other man's lap. "What do you want?" he asked.

Dee brought his hand up, stroking Ryo's hair tenderly. "I couldn't sleep, koi," he said, his voice a whisper. He was afraid to talk any louder, lest he wake the bear in the next room. "I missed you. I don't like sleeping without you."

Ryo sighed. "I know," he said. He reached up and grabbed hold of Dee's hand, running his thumb across the soft flesh. "Neither do I. But it's only for a little while more, I promise. After they leave, everything will be back to normal."

Dee perked up. "You mean after they leave you'll let me do all sorts of unspeakable things to you again?" he asked hopefully. Ryo chuckled a little.

"I might even let you talk me into some of that role-playing stuff you're always going on about. How about I be a fish, and you be a cat?"

**A/N: **It's official. Technology is conspiring against me! My computer won't let me burn my _Gravitation_ songs onto a CD. These appliances, they're plotting I tell you…Anywho, was this chapter short or are all my chapters like this? I don't know, honestly. So, you know the drill – please review!


	4. Without You By My Side

**Title: **Family Ties

**Author: **Vicious Question Mark

**Rating: **M

**Summary: **Dee may have dragged Ryo out of the closet at work, but as far as Ryo's family's concerned, he's still straight as a board. When an unexpected visit from Ryo's Aunt Elena interrupts Dee's Christmas plans, Ryo may find himself in over his head. DLxRM. Yaoi.

**Disclaimer: **I, sadly, do not own FAKE or any of the related characters or their personalities. I just like to manipulate them for my own twisted amusement (with my deepest apologies to Sanami Matoh for brutalizing and mutilating her beloved characters)

**A/N: **So I was thinking, and I asked myself, Why am I writing a Christmas story…in April? And I answered myself (which is the part you've gotta watch, because if you do it in public people think you're nuts…huh, go figure…) that it's because I came up with this idea AFTER Christmas, and if I'd waited a year I'd have forgotten it. It's actually pretty amazing that I managed to answer myself… Thanks for sticking with me while I update (or…don't, as it were…)! Hope you find it worth it!

Chapter 4: Without You By My Side 

The next few days went by with little incident, though there was a particularly uncomfortable moment that involved Ryo, the shower, Rick, a toothbrush, and an overly horny Dee.

"God, did you have to hit me that hard?" Dee rubbed his head where Ryo had smashed it against the shower wall in an attempt to keep him quiet while Rick grabbed his toothbrush. He shook his head, sending droplets of water flying.

"You shouldn't have been in here in the first place, you hornball." Ryo threw a towel at his lover, his dark eyes watching the other man dry himself appreciatively. You'd have to blind not to appreciate that, thought Ryo, his eyes trailing over the dark-haired man's finely-muscled chest, down his toned legs and back up, over his cock, which was still half-hard, and back up his chest. And then Dee noticed this silent inspection and sniffed, pulling his towel securely around his waist.

"You bash me into a wall and then expect a free show? I don't think so, dude." He turned his back on the lighter haired man, a shiver running up his spine as strong arms wrapped around his waist from behind.

"You almost blew my cover," Ryo's hot breath circled around Dee's ear. "I think I deserve a free show." His cock twitched beneath the towel as the blonde's tongue ran a hot trail down his neck, his hands pulling at the towel. "Makes it kinda fun, doesn't it?" Ryo whispered, running his hands back up Dee's chest. "Knowing that they're just on the other side of the door…of that wall over there…realizing that…at any…possible…moment…one of them could walk in here…" Ryo grinned as Dee shivered again, and then pulled back. "But I guess it's too big a risk. I'd hate to have Ri-mmmmmmmmm…" he was quickly silenced by his partner's lips.

"I fucking hate you, Ryo. You know that," Dee growled, pushing Ryo against the counter.

"But you don't seem to have a problem with fucking me," replied Ryo cheekily. He gasped softly as Dee pushed him harder against the counter, grinding his hips against Ryo's.

"You're right about that," he growled, leaning down to capture the blonde's lips in another kiss. A loud knock at the door made them both jump. Ryo shoved Dee away from him.

"You almost done, Ryo?" It was Rick.

_Damn that man! Damn that man to hell and back! Damn him damn him damn damn damn!_ Dee could not help glaring at the door.

"E-er yeah, wh-why?" Ryo hastily pulled a towel around himself and opened the door a tiny crack, peering out. "Y-you…need in here?"

_Jesus man! Could you be any more obvious? _Dee rolled his eyes. Ryo always cracked under pressure.

"No, but your aunt wants to talk to you before we leave. We're going _Christmas Shopping_." Dee could almost hear Rick roll his eyes. "She wants to ask you something about what to get your…roommate or some such nonsense."

"O-oh! Oh…ok, tell her I'll be right there. I'm just….gonna go get dressed and stuff first."

"All right. Oh, and Ryo….have you thought any about our little….discussion the other night? " Rick lowered his voice confidentially, and Ryo stiffened a little.

"No, I haven't," he said, his voice barely concealing his anger. "And I don't plan to. I already told you, I'm not going to kick him out just because of what you think. Excuse me, please, and tell Aunt Elena that I'll be out in a minute." Ryo shut the door and turned away, not looking at Dee, who was staring at him in astonishment.

"He…he told you to kick me out?" Dee stared at his partner, who didn't respond. "Ryo?"

"He…_suggested_…that I _suggest_ to you…after Christmas…that…you find a new place to live." Ryo pulled on a pair of boxers, still refusing to look at Dee.

"B-but…_Why_? I mean… I haven't done anything to him! W-why would he tell you to kick me out!" Dee's voice sounded so lost that Ryo turned to look at him, his dark eyes apologetic.

"He knows, Dee. He knows that you're gay. And…he doesn't like it. I've already told him that I'm not going to kick you out, no matter what he thinks, because you're a great person and you're always there for me and –"

"You just happen to be sleeping with me. And I'm not _gay_, dammit, I'm _bi_!"

"And because you're my best friend," Ryo continued as though Dee had not interrupted him. "And that's not going to change."

"And not once in there did I hear the words 'lover' 'love' 'boyfriend' or even significant other.'

"Dee, you know I can't-"

"Ryo you can't hide this from them forever! It'll just be worse for you if you try and you know it! They're your _family_, Ryo, you shouldn't have to hide your life from them!" Dee seized the blonde man's hand, his voice becoming more passionate. "You should expect them to _support_ you, not _shun _you, for your life! And you should tell them that! You should tell them that you're gay, and that you want their support, but you're not going to beg for it, and that you're not going to _change_ for _them_! Tell them that whether or not they accept it, it's still true! And whether or not they like it, it's still _you_! You're still Ryo, the same Ryo that you've always been! The only difference is who you're sleeping with and that's none of their business anyway! Ryo please I'm _begging_ you to tell them! Even _I_ don't like lying to them like this, and I don't even like them! Well, not Rick anyway but that's beside the point! Ryo if you don't tell them now…are you _ever_ going to tell them? Or…or are you just going to haul this around with you, some deep dark secret, like it's something dirty? Like…like it's wrong?"

"Dee! You know I don't think –"

"That's what this says about you, Ryo! The fact that you won't tell your own _family_ – it practically _screams _'I'm ashamed!' It's like…it's like you're ashamed of me, and of our relationship…l-like it's something that you think is wrong…that you have to keep hidden from everybody else, because…because they might think that it's bad, or wrong, or disgusting even…Ryo…" Dee's voice cracked slightly. "I love you. I love you I love you I love you! I love you, dammit, and I want _them_" he gestured towards the door. "To know that! I want _every_one to know that! I just…Ryo…I just want you to…to be comfortable with this…to…to accept this…I mean…God I don't know…" he dropped Ryo's hand and covered his face with his own hands. "I don't know…"

Ryo couldn't remember ever seeing his partner this emotional, except for the night that Ryo admitted that he loved him. It unnerved him, to watch Dee, who was always so sharp-tongued and quick, struggle to find the words to get his feelings across. It also made him feel terribly guilty because he knew, deep down, that everything that Dee had said was true. He knew how it must look to Dee, and he knew how much it must have hurt him, to have his own lover, the one person who was always supposed to be there for him, denying him. Ryo could only shake his head, pulling his shirt on over his head.

"Dee…I know. You're right and I know it, but…I just…I can't…I _can't_ tell them…"

Dee stared at him for a minute, and then sighed. "I know. I know you can't. I just…well, never mind what. So…" Dee looked around the bathroom and then back at Ryo. "How are we going to explain this one?"

"Oh that's simple," Ryo fastened his belt buckle. "I leave, go into my aunt and uncle's room with them, and keep them busy for a minute. After I leave, wait a couple minutes and then open and close the door, like you've just come in here to take a shower." He shrugged. "Simple."

Dee shook his head. "Whatever you say, boss."

"Right. Now get back, so no one sees you."

"What, is he standing guard at the bathroom door now? Afraid I'll molest you in the shower? ……Oh wait, I just did that."

"Now that you say that, maybe I should suggest that to him."

"You wouldn't _dare_."

"You're right. But I liked the look on your face."

"Get out of here!" Dee snapped his towel at the other man, who opened the door and slipped out, laughing quietly. The dark-haired man waited several minutes, until, when he put his ear to the door, he could hear the quiet murmur of three voices from down the hall. He opened the door quietly, and then slammed it shut loudly. Stepping over to the shower he twisted the water on to hot and stepped in, closing his eyes and wishing that he didn't have to be alone.

XxX 

"Really, Ryo, I want to get him something. I feel so bad, putting him out like this." Ryo's Aunt Elena sat on the double bed with her nephew, trying to coerce him into telling her something that his roommate Dee would like. "It was awfully sudden of us to just show up like this, and – "

"For God's sake Elena, if he says you don't have to get the guy anything then _don't_," growled Rick, who was standing by the doorway, his hands folded over his considerable stomach.

Elena shot a withering look at him. "Just because _you've_ got some ridiculous vendetta against the poor boy doesn't mean _I _can't be nice to him. Besides, it would be mean to get Ryo something and not anything for Dee. It's _Christmas_, Rick, at least try to _pretend_ to be nice." Rick rolled his eyes and huffed, muttering something about spending money on people who weren't even in the family. Elena waved her hand at him. "Oh be quiet, I like him. He's been nothing but a gentleman; I don't see what you've got against him."

"Elena he's a _fag_ for Christ's sa-"

"Do _not_ use that word in my house _ever_ again!" Without realizing it, Ryo had risen to his feet, and was staring at Rick, his fists clenched, nearly shaking with anger. He'd never liked the word 'fag,' even before he'd met Dee, but now, especially when it was being used to describe his partner, he couldn't stand it. Elena had her mouth open, as though she had been about to admonish her husband for it's use, but Ryo had beaten her to it. Rick simply stared at him, his mouth still halfway through forming the word 'sake,' as though he had gone mad.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, straightening to his full height. Ryo did not back down.

"You heard me. This is _my_ house, and Dee is my _friend_, and I _will not tolerate_ someone using such derogatory language to describe him!" Ryo's voice began to rise. Elena put out her hand to pull him back down.

"Ryo, he only-"

At the same time that Rick, now puffed out like an angry bird, said,

"Now listen here, Ryo, I'm still-"

"No! No, _you_ listen! I'm letting you stay in my house. I've let you say whatever you want. I've put up with your "advice" about what to do with him. But I _will not_ let you talk about him like that, especially when you don't even know him! And that word…_that word…_How would you like it if someone called you _fat_, or _monstrous,_ instead of using terms like "big boned" and "overweight?" Or told you that the way you lived and ate was _disgusting_? How would you feel!" Ryo's voice cracked with emotion. He shook his head and pushed past Rick, walking quickly to his room and slamming the door shut.

Rick stared after him, his mouth half open, unsure of what exactly had just happened. At a loss, he turned and looked at his wife, who only shook her head at him.

"Go get your coat, dear. We've got to get out before the crowds." Rick obeyed her wordlessly. When she was sure he was gone, Elena smiled to herself.

"Well now I've definitely got to get him something, don't I?"

XxX 

Ryo paced his room, taking great gulping breaths of air, attempting to calm himself down, and not to cry. He couldn't believe what he'd just done. There were only three days left, two days and they'd be gone. Three more lousy days, and he had almost blown it all sky high. He just…couldn't believe that his uncle would say something like that! He didn't even know Dee! He didn't even…Ryo sighed. It wasn't so hard to believe, after all. His uncle had always been that way, always the first to say, "That's disgusting!" about things he didn't like, and then go home and eat his way through four ham sandwiches, a half a bag of potato chips, and three bottles of Budweiser.

Ryo flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. He only had to make it two more days. Three more days, and Christmas would be over, and they would go home, and everything would be back to normal. December 26th couldn't come fast enough. He heard the door open, and didn't look up as it shut again. He knew that it was Dee.

"Ryo? …You ok? I heard yelling." The bed sank on the end as Dee's weight settled onto it.

"It's nothing. I just…lost my temper over something stu-" No, it wasn't stupid. "Over something."

"Oh…anything I can do to help?"

The blonde sighed and sat up. "No…Yes." He pulled Dee toward him and wrapped the other man's arms around himself securely. "Just…hold me for a while."

"But…" Dee shifted, moving towards the head of the bed to recline on the pillows. "What about your aunt and uncle?"

"They went shopping, they won't be back for a couple hours." Ryo sighed again.

"You sure you ok?" Dee's voice was worried.

"I'm fine."

"All right…well…I have to ask you something. Is there any chance that your aunt and uncle could…y'know…maybe get a hotel room tomorrow night or something?"

Ryo looked up at Dee. "I'm not going to kick them out on Christmas Eve, Dee!"

"But…oh never mind. Well…what if you sent them out to dinner or something? So that…they could have their own little special Christmas Eve dinner or whatever, and then…we could have one, too." Dee leaned down, lowering his voice. "We could go out to your favorite little Italian place...you know…the tiny one, with the corner booth that we always get…and it's not like they'd be missing Christmas with you, because it's only dinner on Christmas Eve…"

"Dee, I don't know…"

"Ryo, _please_…this is…this is really important to me. It's just dinner, I swear. We'll have dinner, and then we'll come back here and wait for them to get back, and we'll drink eggnog and watch _It's A Wonderful Life_ a thousand times, and-"

"All right! All right, if you promise to stop talking and just sit here with me, I promise I'll talk to them when they get home tonight, ok?"

Dee smiled and leaned down, wordlessly planting a chaste kiss on his lover's lips. Tomorrow was going to be the most important day of their relationship, and he would do whatever he had to to make sure that it went off without a hitch.

**A/N:** THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH ME! I love you all, I truly truly do. So this ones a bit longer than the others, and I hope you like it, and, believe it or not, this story will, sadly, come to a beautiful close within the next chapter or two. So please read & review, as usual, and just hang in there with me! Oh, and did anyone else think that they were a bit OOC in this chappie? Or is it just my usual paranoid self again? 0o


	5. Dinner With The Family

**Title: **Family Ties

**Author: **Vicious Question Mark

**Rating: **M

**Summary: **Dee may have dragged Ryo out of the closet at work, but as far as Ryo's family's concerned, he's still straight as a board. When an unexpected visit from Ryo's Aunt Elena interrupts Dee's Christmas plans, Ryo may find himself in over his head. DLxRM. Yaoi.

**Disclaimer: **I, sadly, do not own FAKE or any of the related characters or their personalities. I just like to manipulate them for my own twisted amusement (with my deepest apologies to Sanami Matoh for brutalizing and mutiliating her beloved characters)

**A/N: **Ok, so…it's been a really, really, REALLY long time since I've updated this one…Please don't hurt me! covers head to avoid potentially dangerous flying objects

Anywho – you see, what happened is this: I had all my story stuff on a floppy disk (old, I know), and when I put it in my computer the last time…There was nothing on it. I don't know if it got laid down by a magnet or what, but the damn computer was telling me that it wasn't formatted or something…AGH! So I just lost everything that I had for all my stories. o0 But I'm updating now, and I will again soon, I SWEAR this time! Enjoy!

**Chapter 5: Dinner With The Family**

"Aunt Elena? Could I talk to you for a minute?" Ryo looked around the doorframe of his aunt's room. Rick was in the shower, and Elena was sitting cross-legged on their bed, putting the final touches on some Christmas packages.

"Of course, dear," she said, curling the end of a ribbon with a flourish. "What about?"

"Tonight," said Ryo, entering the room and taking a seat on the end of the bed. "I thought…_Dee_ and I thought that it would be nice for you and Uncle Rick to go out and have a nice Christmas Eve dinner together…you know, just the two of you, very romantic and everything. We thought it'd be a nice end to your vacation."

"Well what about you two?" she scribbled 'Rick' onto a nametag on the gift.

Ryo turned a delicate shade of pink. "O-oh, we'll probably just…go out to this little tiny place we like, it's not too far from here, and then we'll come home and…get things all set up for tomorrow, you know…"

"I see. This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with you and Dee wanting to be alone together on Christmas Eve, would it?" Elena glanced up at him, a sly smile on her face. A dark blush began working it's way up Ryo's face as he stammered out,

"I-I don't know…what you me-"

"Oh Ryo, don't pretend," She reached out and put her hand over his, still smiling. "I know all about it. How long have you two been together?"

"A-almost tw-two years, but how…how did you-?"

"Oh, I've had my suspicions for a while now, but your little tirade yesterday confirmed them."

Ryo looked down. "I'm sorry…a-about yesterday, I mean. I didn't mean to flip out like that…"

"Oh don't be," Elena waved her hand dismissively. "Rick deserved it. He's got no right to judge the way that Dee or anybody lives their life, considering the way he's lived his."

"A-aunt Elena!"

"Oh don't get me wrong, Ryo, I love your uncle, but sometimes he just…rubs me the wrong way. His judgmental side gets tiring after a while, doesn't it? But usually a well-placed admonishment will keep him quiet, at least for a day or two. But you already know that." She grinned even wider at Ryo, who looked bewildered.

"S-so you're not…erm…upset…with me?"

"Upset? Why? Because you're gay? Oh Ryo, that doesn't matter. Being gay doesn't change who you are, it just…changes who you sleep with."

"That's exactly what Dee said!" exclaimed Ryo, his eyes widening. Elena laughed.

"Well great minds think alike, don't they?" she reached over and ruffled his hair a little. "Don't worry, Ryo, I'll make sure that Rick and I are out of your way tonight."

At the mention of Rick, Ryo's face sagged a little. "Wh-what….what do you think he'll say?"

Elena turned back to her gift-wrapping, a serious look coming onto her face. "Well, he won't be happy about it, I'm sure you know that." Ryo nodded. "Maybe it's best if we just…wait until after Christmas to tell him. There, what do you think?" she held up the gift for him to see. Ryo smiled a little.

"It looks perfect, Aunt Elena." Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. "Thank you, so much. It means a lot to me…It means a lot to _us_…to have you know."

Elena patted his cheek gently. "I know. Now get out of here, so I can wrap your present. Go on, shoo!" she flicked a roll of wrapping paper at him as he left, laughing.

XxX 

"Dee!" Ryo burst into his room, where Dee was lying on the bed on his stomach, reading a copy of _People_ magazine. He looked up as Ryo bounded onto the bed.

"What?" he asked, jiggling slightly as Ryo bounced up and down on his knees. "What are you so excited for?"

"She knows!" exclaimed Ryo, continuing his motion. "My Aunt Elena knows, about us, and she doesn't care! Well I mean she _cares_, obviously, but not like I thought she would she knew and she told me that she knew, that she figured it out when I flipped out yesterday on my uncle and that it was great and that we could go-"

"You flipped out on Rick yesterday! Why didn't you tell me that!"

"-out to dinner and that she and my uncle would stay out of our hair for tonight and this feels _incredible_!" Ryo flopped onto his back next to Dee, sighing contentedly. "I never knew that being out to my family could feel so…_good_…"

Dee sat up, looking down at his partner. "Are you sure you're feeling ok?"

"Ok? OK! Dee, I feel _great_!" Ryo sat up and looked at Dee, his dark eyes bright. "I mean, I know that we're not out of the woods yet, because there's still my uncle to think about, but…We get to have our dinner tonight, and then they leave the day after tomorrow, and we'll have the house back to ourselves and everything will be back to normal!" Ryo paused. "We're still on for tonight, right?"

Dee smiled affectionately. "Of course we are, you dolt." He leaned close to the blonde, brushing his lips against Ryo's ear and whispering, "Tonight is going to be…amazing. I promise." He wrapped an arm around Ryo's waist, pulling him a little closer. "You'll never forget tonight."

Ryo turned his head to capture Dee's lips in a kiss. "I know," he whispered, rubbing his thumb over his lover's cheek. "I'll never forget anything we do together."

**X x X**

"Rick, are you almost ready?" Elena turned from the mirror, adjusting her earring as her husband walked out of the closet, shrugging on a dinner jacket.

"I still don't see why we have to go out," he grumbled.

"Oh hush," she said, going over to him and adjusting his tie. "Don't you think it'll be nice to have a quiet romantic dinner with just the two of us?"

"I told you, I don't like the idea of leaving our Ryo alone with that…that _man_."

Elena turned back to the mirror, checking her hair one last time. "Rick, they've lived together for over a year, and Ryo hasn't had any complaints. I hardly think that one night will make much of a difference."

"You don't _know_, Elena," Rick growled, pulling at his tie. "You haven't seen the way this guy looks at Ryo. And last night I caught him lurking outside Ryo's bedroom door! Don't try telling me that's not suspicious."

"Oh Rick, stop acting like you know everything." Elena straightened his tie again. "Because you don't. Just let them be, Ryo will be _fine_. He's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

"He's too damn kind-hearted," said Rick. "He can't say no to anybody."

"Oh give the boy _some_ credit, at least! Don't you think that if Ryo was ever uncomfortable with something he would put a stop to it? He's not a baby, Rick. He'll be _fine_. Now come on, aren't you hungry?"

"…Well…yes," said Rick sullenly. He followed Elena out of the apartment, pausing as she turned to lock the door. "Where are we going?"

Elena, still turned towards the door, smiled to herself so that Rick could not see. "Oh, there's this little Italian place close to here that I've been dying to try."

**X x X**

"You look handsome." Ryo came up behind Dee and slid his arms around the other man's waist.

"Glad you think so," smiled Dee, adjusting his tie in the mirror.

"Oh my God, is that tie actually…_all the way on_? Oh, it must be the apocalypse, Dee Laytner, fully dressed!" Ryo put one hand up to his forehead, pretending to swoon.

"Shut up, tonight's special," mumbled Dee, still toying with the tie.

"It must be very special, for you to wear your tie on proper," said Ryo, replacing his hands around his partner's waist. It was true, too; even at work Dee never kept his clothes on properly. His ties were always crooked and half undone, and his shirt was never fully buttoned. Privately, Ryo enjoyed this casualness – it allowed him to gaze all day at the triangle of perfect flesh beneath his lover's shirt. "Here, let me…" Ryo reached around Dee's chest and straightened the tie, smoothed out Dee's shirt, and then planted a small kiss on the back of his neck. "You look great."

Dee turned around, placing his own arms around Ryo's waist and pulling them closer together. "So do you," he said, leaning down. He kissed Ryo with nearly a week's worth of unspent passion, sucking gently on the shorter man's lower lip before running his tongue across it, seeking a way in. Ryo gladly obliged, parting his lips and sliding his tongue out to meet Dee's, exploring his partner's mouth as if for the first time. All too soon, Ryo felt Dee's mouth pulling away from him, and he reluctantly let it go.

"We should go," said Dee breathlessly, his hands clutching Ryo's arms.

"Y-yeah, let's," replied Ryo, swallowing hard.

"We'll pick this up later," said Dee, sliding his hands down Ryo's back to give his ass a squeeze. "Promise."

After grabbing their coats, the lovers left the apartment building and started on their way to Ryo's favorite Italian restaurant. It was family owned, and only about three blocks from their apartment. There was a light snow falling, and it was just getting dark outside as they entered the restaurant. Ryo shook himself a little, dislodging the snowflakes that had settled onto his coat.

"We haven't been here in ages," he said, looking around happily. His happiness quickly faded, however, as he saw an all-too-familiar figure sitting across the room. "Dee, l-let's eat somewhere else…Not here."

"What? Why not?" Dee turned from speaking with the waitress to look at him.

"I'll tell you later, let's just go before –"

"Ryo! Hey, what're you doing here?" The great lumbering form of Rick appeared behind Dee, jarring him ever so slightly off to the side. Ryo swallowed hard.

"W-we were g-going to…h-have…dinner…" replied Ryo, attempting to back up.

Rick grinned broadly. "Great! You two can eat with us, then."

Dee's eyes were wide as he looked between Rick and Ryo, and then over at Elena, who was still seated at a table. His night was in danger. His perfect night that he'd been planning for five months was in great and terrible danger.

"O-oh, we couldn't do that," he said quickly. "After all, the whole idea was to give you two a romantic dinner alone, right? So we'll just go somewhere el-"

"Nonsense!" boomed Rick, moving a little closer to Dee. "You can eat with us." He glared down at Dee, as if to say "Or else."

Dee looked helplessly over at Ryo, who looked resigned.

_Do something, you idiot! Tell him no! Tell him…I don't know! Something! Anything! Ryo…come on…!_

Dee groaned as Ryo nodded his head miserably.

This isn't happening… 

**A/N: **Oh, but it is! Well, what do you think? I don't actually like this one, but I'm sure I'll like the next one, and so will you I promise! And it'll be out sooner than this one was, I promise that too. o0


	6. Surprise!

**Title: **Family Ties

**Author: **Vicious Question Mark

**Rating: **M

**Summary: **Dee may have dragged Ryo out of the closet at work, but as far as Ryo's family's concerned, he's still straight as a board. When an unexpected visit from Ryo's Aunt Elena interrupts Dee's Christmas plans, Ryo may find himself in over his head. DLxRM. Yaoi.

**Disclaimer: **I, sadly, do not own FAKE or any of the related characters or their personalities. I just like to manipulate them for my own twisted amusement (with my deepest apologies to Sanami Matoh for brutalizing and mutiliating her beloved characters)

**A/N: Oh gosh…**3 months! Guys, seriously, I am SO sorry, I hadn't realized it'd been so long and if you're reading this now and you've hung in for so long…I LOVE YOU! You all deserve a cookie, a really big one, the kind with a million chips. So this one is going up, and the next one will be up very soon and I promise there will be a _very_ juicy scene with our two favorite cops! Hang in there, only 2 more chapters and I'm finished!

**Chapter 8: Surprise!**

Dee cradled his head in his hands, staring blankly at the spotless white tablecloth in front of him. They'd been in the restaurant for almost an hour.

Oh, there's a spot… 

Rick was babbling on about some stunt he'd pulled in high school. Something stupid, like putting the unpopular kids' boxers up the flagpole. Dee looked up at him, trying to picture him as a high school student.

_Fat fat fatty_.

_That's not very nice._

_No? But I bet it was true._

_Regardless…_

_Well in any case he is now. Fat fat fatty!_

_You really don't like him, do you?_

_What was your first clue?_

"Dee! Hey!" the dark haired man shook his head and looked up to find all three of his dinner companions staring at him. He turned to Ryo, who had just shoved him in the arm.

"…_What?_" he snapped. The blonde's eyes turned cold.

"I was just going to tell you that you're about 3 inches away from a face-full of zucchini parmesan, but apparently you don't care. Sorry to interrupt you." And with that Ryo turned back to Rick and Elena, proffering his shoulder to his partner. "Anyway, what were you saying, Uncle Rick?"

Stupid stupid stupid…

Dee stared at Ryo for a moment, then, grumbling, excused himself to the restroom. He would take any excuse to get away from _him_.

Damn you, Rick…You ruined everything. My perfect night, destroyed. Months of planning, wasted. $200 down the drain…and now you've even managed to get him mad at me. Well I certainly hope you're happy with yourself.

Dee pushed open the bathroom door roughly, accidentally slamming it into another, less angry, customer. The man stumbled backwards, grabbing at the wall for support. Automatically, Dee reached out and grabbed his arm, saving him from a fall onto the hard floor.

"Sorry," he mumbled. He let go of the man and moved forwards into an empty stall and locking himself in. He leaned against the cool wall, letting out a deep breath.

"Come on, Laytner, get it together. You're a cop for Christ's sake! You're supposed to be composed, remember?"

He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, adopting his tough stance. As he did so, however, his fingers closed around the package in his right pocket and he pulled it out. It didn't look like anything extraordinary, really. Just a tiny box wrapped in silver paper and a green ribbon. But this tiny, unremarkable box nearly made him lose his composure all over again. Dee stuffed it back into his pocket, leaning forward and feeling very much like he was going to be sick. After a minute or two he straightened up and took several deep breaths.

"Alright…back into the lions' den."

He flushed the unused toilet and went out to the sink, washing his hands and splashing cool water over his face, wiping both with a rough paper towel. He straightened his tie, pushing it all the way up to his neck again (he had loosened it a little after very seriously considering hanging himself with it) and buttoned his jacket. Tonight was going to be good, dammit, Rick or no Rick.

"Sorry, minor emergency." Dee sat back down at the table, now cleared of dishes, and accepted a glass of wine from the waiter. Ryo looked at him questioningly, but quickly looked away again when Dee caught his eye.

"Fire below deck?" Rick grinned and winked at him. "It was the waitress over there, wasn't it?"

"Er…ye-ah…ya got me…" Dee looked down at the table, rolling his eyes.

Moron.

He looked over at Ryo again, but the blonde was still looking determinedly away from him. Carefully, Dee slipped his hands under the tablecloth, leaning forward slightly to conceal them, and snaked one hand over towards Ryo's knee, giving it what he hoped was a quick, apologetic squeeze. Ryo, however, seemed to miss the apology in it. He gasped and pushed his chair back from the table, crushing Dee's hand between his knee and the table edge in the process.

"_Ouch_! Mother-"

"Ryo! What happened?" Elena leaned back from the table, startled. "Are you alright?" she stood slightly, leaning over towards her nephew to see what the problem was.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine…just…just thought I felt something…crawling on me." On this last part he shot a stony glare at Dee, who withered under it and turned to nursing his wounded hand. Rick was staring at him suspiciously.

God I was just trying to apologize…mother fucker that hurt… 

Dee flexed his fingers experimentally, wincing slightly. Nothing broken. Ryo was staring hard at the table, his cheeks flushed and his hands clenched together in his lap. Dee leaned over towards him, wanting desperately to make things right and not have the entire night be a waste.

"Hey," he whispered. "Ryo, listen, I'm so-"

"What is your _problem _tonight!" hissed the blonde, looking angrily at his partner.

"I'm just trying to-"

"Are you _trying_ to ruin tonight?"

Rick sat across the table, watching the two men intently.

Dee frowned. "Tonight was already-"

"You're only making it worse!"

"Ryo, come on, I was only trying-"

"To get me into trouble! You just can't stand it, can you?" the blondes voice had risen a little without him noticing. Dee looked around nervously and noticed Rick watching them.

"Ryo _please_, I'm not trying to argue with you-"

"I bet you did this on purpose!" Ryo's voice dropped again to a hissing whisper. "You wanted to take me out…bull! You set this up, didn't you, just so I'd have to tell them!"

Dee's mouth gaped. Could he really be hearing this?

"That's what this was all about, wasn't it, that's what you really wanted!"

Dee felt his own face flush as his temper began to get the best of him. How dare he. How _dare_ he! How could he sit there and say all those things? What right…what _fucking_ right…what did Ryo know, anyway? What did he know about tonight? _Nothing!_

"Shut up," Dee hissed. "Just shut up right now"

Ryo's eyes widened. "Don't you _dare_ tell me to _shut up,_ Dee Laytner! Not after the way you've been acting all night! You haven't even tried to be nice! Probably just because your little plan didn't work, huh?"

"Dammit Ryo!" Dee slammed his hands on the table, rattling the water glasses. He pushed back his chair, standing up. "You want to know what I had _planned_ tonight? Huh?" his voice rose as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Half the restaurant was staring at them, watching their little show. Ryo was staring up at him, almost fearfully. He couldn't remember ever seeing his partner so angry. "You want to _fucking_ know what I had _fucking planned!_" Dee pulled the box out of his pocket, holding it up for anyone and everyone to see. "This. There it is, my _huge plan! _You want to know what it is? Well here, take it!" he chucked the box at the blonde, who caught it startledly.

Rick stood up. "You had better sit your ass down, _Mr. Laytner_, and stop screaming at my nephew! I know all about you, oh you bet I do, and I bet you just couldn't wait to get Ryo alone, huh, you faggot freak?"

Dee turned to the big man, his eyes blazing, and pointed a finger at him. "Shut up, for once in your big fat lifetime, shut the _hell_ up, you homophobic walrus!"

Elena sat calmly in her seat, watching her nephew, who was currently holding an open ring box in shaking hands.

"Oh my God," he whispered, placing a hand over his mouth. "Oh my God…this is…that's what…" he lifted the tiny silver circle out of it's resting place and looked it over carefully, not hearing the shouting match that was still going on between his lover and his uncle. His eyes trailed over the Celtic-looking design around the outside, then to the inscription on the inside, his mouth forming the words slowly

Love is forever… 

_Dee…_

Ryo looked up from the ring, his wet eyes betraying his emotion.

Elena smiled.

"Dee…" Ryo stood up, speaking louder. "Dee…!"

Dee and Rick looked over, startled to hear Ryo's voice, returned now to it's normal, soft tone. Dee was the first to notice the empty box on the table, and the ring in his lover's hand. He swallowed hard.

"…well?"

Ryo took a deep, shaking breath and nodded his head slowly, taking a step to close the gap between himself and Dee.

"Yes…" he choked out a laugh, and with another step he was close enough to throw his arms around the other man's neck, holding tightly. "Yes," he repeated, his eyes roaming over the gorgeous face in front of him. Black hair…green eyes that right now were filled with a mixture of happiness and lust, and those lips…those amazing lips that Ryo couldn't wait any longer to feel against his own and on his skin…

He leaned up, crushing his lips against Dee's, everything else around him falling away.

"WHAT THE _HELL_ ARE YOU DOING!"

Rick's voice broke through their kiss, causing Ryo to pull away hurriedly, his face once again flushed, this time with embarrassment and arousal.

"U-uncle Rick, I-"

"Ryo that's _disgusting!_" Rick's eyes looked like they might pop out of his head. "I know we raised you better than that! What a dis_grace_…"

"HEY!" Dee stood, arms around Ryo's waist, holding him protectively, glaring at Rick. "I've listened to you all week, buddy, and I'm not going to put up with it anymore. Ryo shouldn't _have _to put up with it, but he did! You wanna talk about a disgrace? How about an uncle who eats too much, looks like a slob, and tells you that the way _you_ live is 'disgusting.' How about a family who won't accept who you are, when they're supposed to love you unconditionally? How about you look in a mirror, _Rick_, before you go roaring on about how Ryo lives!"

Rick stood for a minute, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Ryo took the opportunity speak.

"Dee's right, Uncle Rick. It's not fair for you to tell me that what I do is wrong, when you're so far from perfect." He took a deep breath, moving away from his partner. "Aunt Elena, Uncle Rick…I'm gay. I know that I should have told you sooner, but" he glanced at Rick. "I was afraid of how you'd react."

"Ryo," Elena stood up, coming around the table to take her nephew's face in her hands. "You never have to be afraid to come to us with something. Especially something like this. You're our family, Ryo, and we love you." Here she shot a glare at Rick. "And nothing is going to change that. Ever."

Ryo swallowed hard, tears finally spilling out of his eyes.

"Thank you," he whispered. "Dee," he turned to his lover, taking his hands. "Let's go home."

**A/N: DON'T SPEAR ME! cowers Ok…Ok. The next chapter WILL BE UP SOON, I promise! And it _will_ be good…rubs hands together maniacally Oh, will it be good. Sadly, this story is almost at its end, so I hope you've enjoyed it up till now!**


	7. Kiss and Make Up

**Title: **Family Ties

**Author: **Vicious Question Mark

**Rating: **M

**Warning: THIS CHAPTER WILL CONTAIN SOME MAJOR YAOI! If you no likey, you no ready, mmmk?**

**Summary: **Dee may have dragged Ryo out of the closet at work, but as far as Ryo's family's concerned, he's still straight as a board. When an unexpected visit from Ryo's Aunt Elena interrupts Dee's Christmas plans, Ryo may find himself in over his head. DLxRM. Yaoi.

**Disclaimer: **I, sadly, do not own FAKE or any of the related characters or their personalities. I just like to manipulate them for my own twisted amusement (with my deepest apologies to Sanami Matoh for brutalizing and mutiliating her beloved characters)

**A/N: **See see see? I kept my word this time! Update quick, I did:D …oh wow, I'm not entirely sure what happened to chapters 6 & 7, they sort of…never existed. Oops. …Oh well! On with the show! ((And _oh_, what a show!))

**Chapter 9(I guess): Kiss and Make Up**

_Thud._

"Oh God, Dee…" Ryo groaned as his back hit the wall of the hallway. Dee's lips trailed lightly over the sensitive skin of Ryo's neck, sucking, licking, and biting a trail of red marks down the smooth plane to the collar of the blonde's shirt.

_Rick and Elena had gotten a hotel room for the night._

Dee was reaching for the handle of the door to Ryo's room, while still trying to keep his lips attached to Ryo's neck. It wasn't working.

"For God's sake, Dee, just open the door!" cried the blonde desperately, pushing his partner away from him. The black haired man stared at him for a second, and then bowled into the door, twisting the knob and throwing it open.

_They had the apartment to themselves._

Ryo felt fingers close around his right wrist, and a strong grip yanking him forward. Almost before he knew it, Ryo found himself crushed against Dee's hard chest, his hands clawing at the crisp white button down, desiring more than anything to touch the heated flesh beneath the fabric, to feel the strongly muscled arms, to see the olive-toned skin…

_Oh, what a night it would be…_

Finally, finally Dee's necktie was off, his shirt unbuttoned, and Ryo's eyes raked over his exposed chest – the fine muscle lines, the hard nipples, three shades darker than the rest of him…they were too tempting to resist. Ryo leaned down, closing his lips over Dee's right nipple, kissing it softly. Above him, Dee threw back his head and groaned quietly in pleasure, pulling Ryo's shirt down to expose the pale skin of his shoulders, pulling it down until the material pooled at his bent elbows, his back open for Dee's hands to explore. Disentangling himself from Dee briefly, Ryo shrugged his shirt the rest of the way off his shoulders, dropping it on the floor and beginning to steer Dee backwards towards their bed.

Dee's knees hit the edge of the bed and both men tumbled onto it, Ryo pausing for a moment to look down into his lover's face.

"_Watashi wa ai suru_," he whispered, leaning down and capturing Dee's lips with his own. "I love you."

Stretching himself out on top of his partner, Ryo let his full weight settle over Dee's body. The younger detective quickly took advantage of his position, wrapping his arms around the blonde and rolling him onto his back, sitting up to straddle him. With one knee on either side of Ryo, his hands quickly found their way to the button of the other's pants, his lips moving back to work some more on his neck. Ryo closed his eyes, rolling his head to the side to allow greater access to the sensitive skin. He took a deep breath, breathing in everything about Dee that he could; the smell of his hair (some very manly shampoo, like a strong cologne), the lingering smell of tobacco from his last cigarette, and the slight smell of his sweat, a product of the evening's earlier tension.

Ryo was so focused on Dee's smell that he didn't even notice that the other man had steadily been moving his lips lower until he felt them brush over his navel. The zipper on his pants seemed to have mysteriously come unzipped, and his pants themselves had worked themselves down around his knees. With the help of Dee's eager hands, his pants soon joined his shirt on the floor. Ryo's hips jerked upward involuntarily as Dee's lips moved lower still, his hands pulling down the waistband of Ryo's black briefs as he kissed lower, lower…

Ryo gave a strangled whimper as Dee's lips brushed over his aching erection, warm breath a sharp contrast to the cool air surrounding them. Ryo's hips jerked up again, begging for more attention from his lover's skilled mouth, which Dee more than willingly gave. Ryo felt his entire body go limp as Dee's tongue ran down the length of his shaft and then back up, planting a quick kiss back on Ryo's stomach before closing his lips around the head, then taking the whole of Ryo's length into his mouth. Strong hands clamped down on Ryo's hips, holding them in place as they tried to thrust upward again. Ryo shivered with pleasure as Dee dragged himself back up his lover's body, planting a kiss on his lips.

"You ready?" Dee whispered, reaching over to the nightstand for the half-full bottle of lube.

"Yes…oh _God, _yes, Dee, _please_," Ryo wrapped his arms around Dee's neck tightly, kissing him deeply. "I want you to take me…now…"he kissed him again. "Forever."

"I just might take you up on that 'forever' bit…"Dee grinned as he popped open the cap on the lube, squeezing some into his waiting hand. He slicked the substance over his fingers, sliding his hand between Ryo's legs, one finger probing at his tight entrance. The blonde moaned pleasurably and spread his legs farther apart, allowing his partner greater access to him. Dee quickly slipped one finger into his lover and then another, turning Ryo's purr of appreciation into a loud groan of pleasure. Dee wrapped his free hand around Ryo's cock, stroking him softly, building the pleasure until Ryo could hardly stand it, throwing his head from side to side and then, suddenly, it was gone. Ryo's eyes snapped open at the sudden emptiness inside him and he lifted his head, trying to see where his lover's hands had got to. The younger man was straddling him, his muscular chest rising and falling rapidly with his quick breathing, reaching down to cover his own erection with the thick lubricant. Ryo groaned impatiently, jerking his hips up in attempt at creating some decent amount of friction, to no avail. Dee looked up at him and grinned, his green eyes dark with lust.

"Pushy tonight, aren't we?"

"Fuck, Dee, come on!" Ryo whimpered pitifully, his dark eyes betraying how much he wanted it, wanted it all, all of Dee; his body, his companionship, his love, everything. And he wanted to give all of himself to his dark-haired lover, to give him just as much and more as he got.

Dee took the hint, swiftly pushing himself past the tight ring of muscle around Ryo's entrance. They stayed that way for a moment, Dee buried to the hilt in the delicious warmth of his lover's slick passage, Ryo unable to move for the wave of pleasure that coursed through him at finally feeling Dee inside of him.

_Now._

Dee pulled himself almost all the way out of Ryo before slamming back into him, causing them both to slide up a little on the silky bed sheets. Ryo grabbed at the material for support as Dee thrust again and again, hitting his prostate each time, and each time managing to send more pleasure than Ryo had ever thought possible through his body. He released the sheets with one hand, reaching down to touch himself as Dee continued to thrust, matching his rhythm and speed, crying out as the thrusts of the man above him became harsher, harder, and faster.

"Dee…! Ah, k-koi, I-I'm go-going to c-c-c-" Ryo cried out again as Dee slammed into his prostate again.

"T-together," he gasped, from somewhere about Ryo. "C-come with me, R-ryo…" A couple more slams, a few more strokes.

Ryo came first, screaming out his lover's name as the burning feeling left his stomach and traveled downward, escaping his body in a white-hot jet. Dee followed not a half second after, holding himself over Ryo, filling him with his own burning liquid. He collapsed on top of the blonde, their bodies, slick with sweat, sliding against one another as they caught their breath.

"Ryo…" Dee laid his head against the blonde's sweaty chest, still sheathed inside him.

"Mmm?" Ryo replied sluggishly, his eyes closed. He trailed his fingers lazily up and down Dee's bare back, reveling in the aftermath of their lovemaking.

Dee turned his head and kissed his lover's chest gently.

"I love you."

**A/N: Well…was it worth the wait? God I certainly hope so. And see, it was out quick! So next chapter's the last one, and it'll probably get done after I finish all my college applications and such nonsense. Knowledge..humph, who needs it? Ah, you might all be pleased to know that there may be _a sequel_ to "Family Ties" sometime in the future! Would you read it? Lemme know! Thanks guys!**


	8. Back To Normal Finally!

**Title: **Family Ties

**Author: **Vicious Question Mark

**Rating: **M

**Warning: Ummm...not much this chapter, actually. Mild innuendo, I guess.**

**Summary: **Dee may have dragged Ryo out of the closet at work, but as far as Ryo's family's concerned, he's still straight as a board. When an unexpected visit from Ryo's Aunt Elena interrupts Dee's Christmas plans, Ryo may find himself in over his head. DLxRM. Yaoi.

**Disclaimer: **I, sadly, do not own FAKE or any of the related characters or their personalities. I just like to manipulate them for my own twisted amusement (with my deepest apologies to Sanami Matoh for brutalizing and mutiliating her beloved characters)

**Chapter 10: Back to Normal (Finally!)**

"We had a great time, Ryo." Elena hugged her nephew tightly and kissed his cheek. Rick stood by the cab sulkily, waiting for her to finish saying goodbye. "Let's not wait until next year to see each other again, hmm?"

Ryo smiled as she released him, stepping back into his place beside Dee. "Don't worry, Aunt Elena. I'm sure we'll be needing your help with the wedding."

She pointed a finger at him. "You had better believe it. Promise me that you won't plan a single thing without me. Come on, let's hear it. Oh, don't worry," she added, seeing the look of hesitation on both men's faces. "I won't take over. I'll just be a…a consult. You know, to stop you from picking out any really horrible yellow tuxedos or something. Besides," she winked at Dee. "Someone has to plan your bachelor parties!"

Dee laughed and stepped forward, pulling Elena into a hug. "It was great to meet you, Elena. Don't be a stranger, ok?"

Elena hugged him tightly. "I won't be." She gave him a squeeze and whispered, "and don't worry. Next time I'll leave the Bear at home." She gave them both one last grin, then turned and walked to her waiting husband and taxi, sliding in after the mass of Rick. As the cab pulled away from the curb, Elena rolled down her window and stuck her head out.

"By the way," she shouted at them. "I'm not wearing some horrible cream puff dress, either! Pick out something ugly and I'll kill the pair of you and put you in separate graves! See how lucky you get in the afterlife then!"

The two New York detectives smiled and waved after the taxi, watching it until it disappeared into traffic.

"Well," said Dee, slipping his arm around his partner's waist. "I like her. Now let's go plan a wedding."

Ryo turned and wrapped his arms around the taller man's neck, kissing him gently on the lips. "I love you," he said.

Dee grinned at him and slid his arms around the Ryo's waist. "You know," he said, giving the blonde's ass a slight squeeze, "I think that the plans could probably wait a little longer, don't you?"

Ryo shrugged, grinning to himself. "Whatever you say, Dee. Whatever you say."

fin

**A/N: OH MY GOD ITS DONE! OH MY GOD YOU HAD TO WAIT THREE MONTHS FOR THIS! OH MY GOD I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO UNBELIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVABLY SORRY! If you want to flame me, I'll accept them w/o complaint.  Well well, as you may have noticed before, I said summat about making a sequel – yes, I AM still thinking of doing it, and YES it probably will take me a while to do. I want to finish my forever long Gravitation fic first, so PLEASE bear with me, Happy New Year all (its now 12:28 A.M. on Januaray 1, 2007), and thanks for sticking with me!**


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